Is college really worth it? A guy really let me down today :(?

Im 20 and considering college. Its a long story why I didnt go right after I graduated but here's the thing. I was looking for advice financially online on a college blog and this one dude (with a rich looking profile pic) interrupts everyone and says he got a rich job without college and called everyone with college debt a loser and he told me college isnt worth it and assumed I was spending my part time job money on worthless things and wrote "if you actually got off your butt and tried for scholarships and saved your money you wouldn't be struggling like this." Then he bragged again how he got a very high paying job without any education past high school. His grammar was terrible though. And he looked around my age. The thing is this attack made me feel depressed and worthless. What should I do? I really wish there werent people like him in the world. Is college actually worth it? Is he wrong? Sorry I get offended easily.

4 Answers

First. In this world, you have to learn to take peoples word with a pinch of salt. What I mean by that, is don't believe everything that everyone says. This world is full of educated, uneducated, successful and unsuccessful people, that is life. We learn to accept other people may have better jobs, worse jobs or no jobs at all but the most important thing is doing what YOU feel is right regardless of anyone else's decisions.

So, going on from what I said.

Don't let the opinion of one guy you've never met before affect your entire life. Be strong, listen to others but don't accept everything they say. Form a valid opinion of your own. College is a FANTASTIC place to be. I'm in the UK here so college to me is a place you go after high school, and I'm pretty sure in other countries like the US, college is the same as what university is here in the UK. Either way, education is a GOOD thing.

Let me tell you a little secret, in fact it isn't a secret. It's actually what many adults refuse to admit.

In this world... the best jobs usually require... Qualifications! Academic qualifications that say you have passed exams, done your homework and studied in a particular field, say computer sciences for example. Your employer will then look at your CV/Resume and see that you spent all those years studying, learning, putting pen to paper, paper to physical work like industry experience on work placements etc. He/she will then more than likely hire YOU over the next woman who busted out of high school at 16 and went on to have 2 children at a young age, who's been on welfare benefits ever since she left and lives on an allowance set by the government.

See my point? Which of those people would you rather be?

Another secret I will share with you. I busted out of high school at around 17. I went down the wrong roads at school, met the wrong people, listened to the wrong people. I was on track for perfect qualifications leaving high school, I got offered internships at companies that were looking to pay me top money after a few years on their pay roll. I went to college, hoping that I could get back on track. Having not got the qualifications I needed from high school, I started at the bottom on a level 1 course when I could of jumped straight to level 3 and then onto university/college within 2-3 years.

See my point? Education is a great thing to have in our modern way world. But the truth is, yes, many dont even finish high school, like me for example, and go to lead multi-million pound/dollar companies and can live off the interest rates their bank accounts give for having so much money in their account just sitting there. I got told, if you have a million pound/dollar in your bank account, you practically get £500/$1000 a week in interest alone so you could live off that. Anyway, you get my point. YES. IT IS POSSIBLE. But these individuals had a business model that was bound for success. An idea. An invention. A product that COULD and WOULD and DOES sell. I'm not being funny but not a lot of people have that talent or those resources to make that happen.

My advice? DONT RISK IT!!!

Think quickly about what job you want for the rest of your life. Choose a career and get to college. Study hard. Don't mess up. Stay on the straight and narrow and within a few years, you'll walk out with the qualification you need to land the job you want. And even if you find it hard to find a job in your chosen field, you have the qualification there. I have friends who graduated. Have top recognised qualifications, some close to doctors in their fields. And can't land a job. Why? Because they are over-qualified. Companies dont want to pay 20 year olds £20/$40 per hour when they come fresh out of college/university because they have NO experience. Only a piece of paper that says they are qualified.

So.. that being said. Be flexible. Be realistic. Chase your dreams. It doesn't matter anyone else says. Yes, maybe he was rich. The thing is, how can you look rich? Bill Gates admittedly wears cheap jeans that cost no more than £20/$40. In fact, a lot of rich people don't need to boast their fortune. I know if I was a millionaire, I wouldn't walk around in diamond encrusted jeans and gold plated tuxedos.

Think about you Emily. Only YOU. The more you delay, the less chance you have. Here in the UK, and I apologise I keep saying that, you may be from the UK, I don't know.. after 20 your chances of getting onto a course here in the UK (said it again) drop by 30%. After 25? Drop by 50%. Why? Because if you dont have the qualifications to get on these courses, most educational institutions just wont accept you. You need baseline paperwork that says, I have these set of skills. I'am looking to extend my skills. Otherwise, they usually kindly show you the door.

That is how this world operates Emily.

So, I'll wrap up until one neat paragraph shall I?

Education is good. Education grants you qualifications that grant you jobs you can have for life. That in the future, put food on the table for a family, petrol in the car, pays off a mortgage, pays for gas/electricity and any other bills. You have MORE chance of being successful if you complete your education. So you must complete your education. Then the world is your oyster. Pick your profession. Study for your profession. Work in your profession.

His grammar is terrible. He sucks. Anyone who can't communicate effectively sucks.

You question is tough, because you have to consider it on so many levels. College gives you an experience of a lifetime, teaches you new skills, allows you to grow and develop yourself. You also get a degree (or to some people, "piece of paper).

What I can say with certainty is that college is DEFINITELY worth it if you plan on studying science, technology, math or engineering. Otherwise, it's good too, but make sure to get work experience in.